Riding in Cars With Boys
by colormerainbows21
Summary: "She wondered how much she should disclose to Deacon and Rayna, knowing from experience that riding in cars with boys led nowhere worth traveling." Deacon/Maddie/Rayna-centric but other characters will make appearances. Rated M for language, some adult themes, trigger warning for mild references to alcoholism and bullying. Multi chapter. R&R if you so wish!


**Riding in Cars With Boys**

 **Synopsis:**

 **[AU/OOC]**

Maddie Claybourne was considered "country royalty." Born to two extremely talented musicians, the gift ran down the lineage, no shortage of it now pulsing through her own veins. Music was her first and biggest love, but she often felt the pressures of the strings attached to her last name. Trying mercilessly to navigate all that encompasses the teenage years, she must learn that struggle doesn't bypass anybody, and the things you never thought could happen to you, are often the ones that aid in the journey to finding yourself.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Nashville or any affiliated characters. Any additional characters or situations created within this work of fiction are figments of the author's imagination intending to bear no actual resemblance to specific persons or circumstances.

 **A/N:** AU as stated above. Maddie/Deacon/Rayna centric, but other characters will make appearances. Deacon/Rayna have never been apart minus his time in rehab. No Teddy, no Daphne, no cancer. Read and review if you so wish. Intended to be multi-chapter. Exact length yet to be determined.

 **AN2:** Anything that is not under a dated heading in this story, (ie. November 1998  & etc.) should be assumed as present tense (2015) unless otherwise specified. Pound signs ( **#** ) used to break up scenes within certain sections of the story. Format will remain the same throughout future chapters.

 **Trigger Warning:** References to alcoholism, bullying.

Rayna Jaymes lay on her side of the marital bed she shared with her husband, propped up on one elbow watching him intently as he read. In the beginning, she never would have pegged Deacon Claybourne the bookish type, but things had changed over the years of their relationship. It had gone from tumultuous to relatively calm and orderly, despite the fame and recognition that came with both their careers. Often, Rayna had lain awake at night and thought about all the things that had led them to where they were, one of the biggest being the light of both of their lives who was sleeping soundly in a room down the hall.

"What?" Deacon asked quizzically, looking at her over his reading glasses and cocking an eyebrow when he noticed her staring, the faintest of grins dancing over her lips.

"Nothin', just thinkin' is all."

"About what?" He dog-eared the page he'd come to rest at in his book, setting it gently on the nightstand before turning to face her. Looking into her eyes, he could see a hodgepodge of emotions and could only imagine the things that had been playing through her mind. Moments like this were his favorite; lying listlessly and half asleep, having partial conversations about life which were meaningful and unimportant all at once.

"How Maddie coming along seems to have changed the whole trajectory of our lives." Lowering herself down off her elbow which was becoming strained from supporting her weight, she shuffled closer to Deacon, feeling the body heat that radiated from him as their bare legs touched under the covers.

"It sure did. I wouldn't have it any other way," he said with complete conviction as he claimed her lips and thought for the millionth time of how thankful he was that the amazing woman opposite him had stuck by his side so long and on top of it, given him a child.

 **November 1998:**

 _ **Old Habits, New Beginnings**_

Tandy kept a worried eye on Rayna, who was slumped over the island in the middle of her kitchen, untouched breakfast plate in front of her. She'd barely said a word all morning, and her body began convulsing with the effort of a new round of sobs escaping. Seeing her such a mess, it was a struggle to keep her temper and blood pressure in check. This was a manner in which she'd witnessed her sister more times than she cared to remember, but it didn't make it any easier. In that moment, she hated Deacon for his deplorable actions, and held copious amounts of resentment toward her sibling for tolerating them so long.

"Does he have any idea where you are?" Even without the strawberry blonde's nod of approval or opposition, she knew the answer would be a no. Deacon never cared where she was when he was on binges or benders, and over the years of the twos' relationship, those benders happened more frequently than not. More than likely, he'd once again allowed himself to become enslaved to the effects of the alcohol, not realizing upon finally returning home that his love had packed a bag and left. Too distraught to think, she'd just ended up at Tandy's, and despite the ungodly hour, her sister had made good on her open door policy.

 **##**

 _"_ _Ray? What is it? What are you doing here? What's goin' on?" Hair ruffled, eyes half closed and voice thick with sleep, Tandy pulled her housecoat tighter around her and cinched the waist belt as a wave of chill night air reached her from her place in the doorjamb._

 _Tears streaming down her face, Rayna unsuccessfully tried to form words only making herself look like more of a blubbering mess. Ushering her inside, her sister shut the door lightly and attempted to soothe her with a squeeze of the shoulder._

 _"_ _I know you wouldn't just show up here at.." she glanced quickly at the position of the hands on the foyer clock before continuing, "three forty-two AM, for no reason.. so what's going on? What's wrong?"_

 _Sniffling, the woman opposite her situated herself on the couch and took a shaky breath in attempt to gain composure. "I'm pregnant. Deacon didn't come home last night. I haven't been feelin' the best the last few weeks, but chalked it up to being tired and stressed and busy at first. Finally I decided to take a test just to rule it out, y'know? It came up positive, so I took a few more, just to be sure. When he didn't come home, I didn't know what else to do. I still don't know what to do. I'm sorry for wakin' you."_

 _"_ _Oh honey, no. Don't you worry about that, okay? You can always come here, I've told you so many times. Open door policy, Rayna. Always. You want me to fix you some tea or somethin'?"_

 _"_ _Nah, s'alright. I think I'm just gonna crash, if that's okay?" Seeing her sister wordlessly nod her head in agreement, she followed along behind her into the guestroom. "If you need anything, just holler. I'll be right down the hall."_

 _"_ _I will. Thanks, Tandy. Really. Thanks for savin' my ass so many times when I got nowhere else to go."_

 _Smiling, Tandy kissed the top of her head. "You bet. I'll talk to you in the morning. We're gonna figure this out, I promise." It wasn't a promise she was sure she could make good on, but her sister needed her. For her sake, and for the sake of the tiny unborn life growing inside of her, she had to try._

 ** _##_**

"I know this is hard for you, Ray, but you need to pull it together. If not for you, then for the sake of your baby. This child didn't ask to be brought into the world, and if you bring it into the chaos y'all are living now, there's gonna be major problems."

She lifted her head from her hands, loathing the things coming from her sister's mouth, but part of her knowing she was right. Her mind began swirling with thoughts of all the times she hadn't been able to count on Deacon. Missed gigs, dropped interviews, last minute fill-ins; mornings spent head hanging over the toilet, body trying to advise against a repeat offense the following night but him never complying, arguments started for no apparent reason and ending with the two of them not speaking for days.

None of it was the kind of world she wanted to exist in with him, but she tolerated more than she should because of the amazing connection that always endured between them in the aftermath of catastrophe. It was unlike anything she'd ever known and something she never wanted to live without. Despite the deep love and affection that bonded two damaged souls, Rayna was realizing that she may have to act in the most selfless way she'd ever done, forsaking her own happiness in exchange for the well being of a little person she had yet to meet. The good memories were the ones that had sustained her during times of crisis, and even if Deacon wasn't ready or willing to be a father, those memories would never leave her.

 **##**

 _"_ _Babe, wake up." Excitement level much too high for the hour, he gently shook his girlfriend in attempt to wake her. As he reached over to grab his guitar and saw her eyes flutter open he pushed a few stray auburn locks off her forehead with his free hand, leaning over and allowing his lips to meet her exposed skin. "I got an idea for a new song, I think it could be a single."_

 _Wiping a hand across her face to clear the blur that had descended upon her vision, she looked from the clock on the wall to her boyfriend and back, her expressions changing from slumberous to incredulous in quick succession. "Hon, are you aware that it's four-thirty in the mornin'?"_

 _"_ _I'm well aware," he chuckled. "I'm sorry for wakin' you, but when inspiration strikes, it strikes. You know that as well as I do." She did. Their mutually creative and artistic spirits were a huge part of what held them together. Many late nights had been spent collaboratively hashing out past and future masterpieces that gnawed at them until liberated from their being, finally converted into chord progressions, melodies, and lyrics._

 _"_ _S'alright," she sighed, sitting up and grabbing blindly for the pad and pen she kept handy on the bedside table. "Whatcha got?"_

 _Deacon switched on the lamp, stealing a lengthy glance at Rayna as he looked up from adjusting the guitar in his lap. The light settled on her in such a way that it illuminated her features and created somewhat of an aureole around her, causing the auburn shade of her hair and the green of her irises to intensify tenfold. His breath caught in his throat as he inhaled, awestruck by the entire essence of her being._

 _"_ _Babe?" snapping her fingers in front of his face, she saw his gaze refocus and come back to the present moment. "You okay?"_

 _He wiped his perspiring hands across the meager supply of fabric that made up his boxer shorts. "Uh, yeah.. sorry, I was...distracted," he said, a small smirk flitting across his lips as he took in the vision of her in his over-sized plaid flannel shirt and underwear once again._

 _"_ _Oh, really?" Catching him studying her clothing, (or lack thereof) she playfully stuck her tongue through her teeth, allowing her own eyes to travel in the direction of the ever-growing bulge in his shorts. "Well, you best get un-distracted. I didn't get up at four-thirty for nothin'. Lemme hear this amazing song idea you got struck by all of a sudden." Winking at him, she arranged the pad of paper across her lap, gripping the black pen in her writing hand._

 _"_ _I ain't got too much in the way of lyrics yet, but I got the melody pretty much down." Rayna listened as her boyfriend skillfully moved his fingers across the strings of the instrument. The sounds that it emitted were unlike anything she'd ever sang or heard played before, but Deacon had a way of surprising her each and every time they created something together. He knew her like the back of his own hand and his works seemed to effortlessly fit her voice and capabilities as an artist, never becoming stagnant or stodgy, piquing her interest continuously._

 _"_ _That's gorgeous," she said breathlessly of the composition as he played the last note and lifted his fingers. "You just came up with that tonight?"_

 _"_ _Yeah, a little while ago. I was layin' awake and tryin' to play soft enough not to wake you up. You got any ideas for lyrics?"_

 _Running her fingers through her mass of hair, she mulled over things quietly for a minute. "Play the chorus again?" Obliging her request, he plucked the strings corresponding with that particular part of the song and saw her scribbling furiously on her pad of paper as she listened intently._

 _After playing it through repeatedly, she handed him a full page of words, well worn from the marks of the pen scratching certain sections out and adding new ones. "This is incredible," he praised, smiling in her direction. "Will you sing it for me?"_

 _"_ _Sure," she grinned, taking the pad of pages back from him and turning it to face her. As his fingers rested in the correct spots once again, he began strumming the opening chords. Catching Rayna's gaze, he held it for a second longer than she might have expected him to._

 _"_ _What?" she squealed, "Why're you lookin' at me like that?"_

 _"_ _I love you," he whispered, leaning over and capturing her lips._

 ** _##_**

 _"_ _Rayna!?"_ Tandy exclaimed, pulling her from her reverie.

"Shit, sorry, what?" Completely unaware that her sister had been trying to get her attention, she felt bad that she'd allowed herself to get so caught up in her memories of Deacon. The nostalgia of it all hit her like a tidal wave as she was brought back to reality and the gravity of her current situation. Not wanting another wave of sobbing to overtake her, she silently prayed for the fortitude necessary to get through any struggles she would soon happen upon.

"I asked if you intend to keep the baby?"

"Oh, yeah. Of course," Rayna answered without delay. "I won't abort it, and I don't think I could go through carryin' it so long just to hand it over to someone else."

"You're gonna have to tell Deacon soon, then. I know you don't want to, but it needs to happen."

"Come with me?" Worry was etched on her face like that of a small child after they'd done something wrong. Tandy didn't often see Rayna seemingly so apprehensive, vulnerable and exposed. As much as they may have had their differences over the years, she didn't like seeing this aspect of her sister and wanted more than anything to make the uneasiness she was so obviously feeling go away.

"Sure honey. Yeah, I'll go with you."

 **##**

They sat parked in Tandy's Ford Focus, (Rayna had opted to ride back with her, saying she'd have someone drop her off at her sister's in the near future to pick up her own car) lingering there for longer than they'd meant to for no particular reason, surprised to see that Deacon had finally arrived home at some point during the night.

"Can you hear anything?" Rayna's voice was soft, almost a whisper, her dread palpable. "What if he's drunk?"

"Darlin', if he ain't drunk he's workin' off a hangover. There's no in between with him." Giving her sister's hand a reassuring squeeze so her last statement didn't come off as callous, she opened the driver's door in an effort to propel their mission.

"You go ahead of me, I don't know what I'll find when we get in there," Rayna mused, following suit and opening her own door.

They walked tandem along the driveway and up the front steps, Tandy in front of Rayna as per requested. "I don't hear anything," she said when she reached the front door, placing her ear against it. "Let's hope he didn't finally drink himself to death."

"Tandy! The hell's wrong with you?! Why would you even say something like that?" Inhaling and exhaling slowly, Rayna willed herself to muster enough composure not to shove her sister right through the closed door. Sometimes she really lacked the ability to censor herself.

"Well, I mean.. sometimes I think it's inevitable if he doesn't get it under control. I don't sugar coat things as much as you do, Ray."

"Apparently," she shot back, dryly. "Open the door." Sifting hastily through the compartments of her handbag, she came up with the lanyard holding various sets of her keys. "It's the gold one in the middle."

Taking the short rope from her and locating the required key, the woman in front of her jammed it into the lock, turning until it clicked, indicating their path inside the house was no longer obstructed. Once into the foyer, both women noticed the house's complete darkness and eerily quiet state.

"He's probably sleepin' off that hangover," Rayna muttered unimpressed, dropping her keys into the dish on the foyer table and hanging her purse on a hook on the wall.

"I wouldn't doubt it." The two women stood looking at one another, momentarily unsure of what course of action they should take. "I'm just here for moral support," Tandy whispered. "You do what you need to do."

"Wish me luck," Rayna breathed, heading in the direction of their bedroom.

 **##**

Just as expected, she found Deacon sprawled out across their queen sized bed, ostensibly unconscious but still breathing. (The only thing that gave away the true state of his vitality was Rayna placing her index and middle fingers on the pulse point in his neck to be certain he still in fact had one.)

"Deacon, wake up." Shaking him much more violently than she meant to, she watched him alter positions, rolling over halfway, but not waking up. "God damn it." Heaving an exasperated sigh, she gathered one of the firm, oblong throw pillows up off the floor and heaved it violently in his direction. " _Deacon! Get the fuck up!"_

"The hell Ray?!" Bolting upright, a look of perplexity and complete bewilderment showed itself on his face. "What's goin' on?"

"Oh, don't play dumb with me, darlin' you know _damn_ well what's goin' on."

He wiped a hand across his face, defeated before anything even started. "No, Ray. I seriously don't. Enlighten me, please."

"Well, let's see. You didn't come home the other night, I know this because I sat and waited for you forever, I figured you were out on another bender and couldn't handle bein' alone so drove my emotional sappy ass to Tandy's at almost four in the morning. Today I needed to talk to you but I never know what I'll find when I get home if you've been out on another one of your little escapades, so brought Tandy with me for moral support, assuming you'd be workin' off another hangover. Am I right? How sad is that, that I need _moral_ support to deal with my own fucking _boyfriend?!"_

Outside the door, she heard the shuffling of feet she knew to be Tandy coming closer, and was grateful. The argument was escalating as they so often did, and it felt good to have another presence close by in case things got too out of hand.

"Look, Ray. You're right, okay? Yes, I did get drunk and lose track of time. Yes, I have a hangover. Baby, I'm sorry. You know I don't mean to hurt ya."

"Then _stop_! For fuck's sake, Deacon. You can't say you're sorry and do the same things over and over then expect me to believe you mean it." As much as Rayna loved Deacon, as many excuses as she'd concocted for him over the years, something inside of her snapped in that moment. Having heard the "baby, I'm sorry" line one too many times, she'd had about enough. The floodgates were officially broken open, and her "give a damn" was busted. "Things are gonna have to change around here real soon."

"Fine, I'll quit drinkin'. I'll stop, right now. Cold turkey and everything. I'll prove to you how much I love you."

"S'not gonna work, Deacon."

"Sure it will, if I really want it to. If I slip I'll just pick myself up and start over."

"You can't afford anymore slips, Deacon." Making her way to the end of the bed, she took it upon herself to collect the rest of the throw pillows off the floor where her boyfriend had carelessly tossed them, no doubt while intoxicated.

"Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody falls, Rayna. You don't know that I won't until I try. If I slip I'll fix it, I swear."

"You've said that before," she responded flatly.

Picking himself up from his spot on the bed, he carefully made his way over to her. Taking the throw pillows from her grasp and tossing them lightly onto the bed he proceeded to immobilize her head by firmly placing his strong hands on either side of her face, forcing her to look directly at him.

"I know, but this time.. this time I mean it. I'm serious, no more fuckin' around. I slip, I own it, and I fix it."

"Babe, you can't," she proclaimed desperately, her eyes conveying the depth of her emotions as she wished to hell she could avert her gaze.

"Why? Why are you so worried about me fallin' off the wagon before I've even got up on it?!"

"Because.."

"Because _why_?"

"Because I'm havin' a baby, damn it!" Rayna looked at him for a long moment without trying to pull her eyes away and saw a host of conflicting feelings dance in the depth of his pupils. Feeling her stomach twist itself in knots and unravel again, she knew she would go crazy if she didn't soon hear him speak.

You're... you're pregnant?!"

She decided to tread carefully with regard to showing any emotion until she could feel Deacon out. "Yes," she said quietly, unsure of whether or not his anger was festering, lying in wait to send him over the edge.

Picking her up, he spun her around the room joyously, not caring about the splitting headache and aching body the alcohol had left behind. Taken by complete surprise, she let out a loud shriek, causing Tandy to rush into the room. Upon seeing the embrace they were locked in, she looked just as confused as Rayna felt. "It's okay, Tan. We're fine," she assured her as Deacon set her back on solid ground. Wordlessly, she nodded her head and made her way to take up post in the kitchen once again.

"Honey, why would you be afraid to tell me that? This makes me so, so happy. I've always wanted a child with you, you should know that."

"Really?" Outwardly, Rayna made a point of disguising her pleasure over her boyfriend's admission; on the inside, however, she thought her heart might bust. "It's just, when you drink, and sometimes after, you get hostile and mean. You're not the person I love then. I wasn't sure how you'd take it. I mean, we're still young, we're not married..."

"I know I'm not the best person when I'm drunk. I'm startin' to see that I've hurt a lot of people, and I'm gettin' sick of myself. I'm sick of feelin' awful, bein' awful, wakin' up sick, not feeling anything. I wanna try to fix it. For you," he looked at the abdominal area that would sooner than later be swollen with the growth of another human being. _His_ human being. "For the baby."

Looking at the expression on his face, hearing the sincerity that laced his tone, she wanted to believe him. Like so many times before, she questioned if she would be burned again. If it happened even one more time, she felt the damage may be irreparable. "I don't think this is somethin' you can do by yourself, Deacon. It's got a hold on you pretty tight, and this ain't your first time fightin' it. I think you need to go back to rehab. If you don't, I may have no choice but to walk away. Our baby deserves a Daddy. The man he really is. If you can't figure out who that is, then the least I can do is offer some kind of stability. We don't have that right now."

As much as he didn't want to admit it, she was right. The thought of returning to rehab, admitting he'd failed again, was enough to make him vomit. He hated that place, and many of the people who inhabited it. Nothing scared him more than going back to a place he absolutely loathed, only to be forced to become completely vulnerable laying his heart and the most vindictive of his demons out to strangers, but for the sake of his growing family he needed to grow a pair and face his fear. If he didn't, it would burn him alive from the inside.

"Yeah, okay. I'll go," he said, wrapping her in his arms and feeling her tears stain the shoulder of his shirt. There was no room for failure this time.

 **August 1999:**

 _ **God Ain't Gonna Punish You**_

Rayna sat perched on a chair at what she'd designated her craft table in one of the spare rooms of the house. (In reality, it was just an old rustic looking wooden table with an abundance of craft supplies spread out all over it, but she called it a craft table to make herself feel as if she had better organizing and decorating skills) By no means was she a naturally crafty person; music was as far as her creative abilities extended, but she'd started scrap booking and muddling around attempting different things since the baby had come. Being a mother had changed her incredibly quickly in ways she'd never have imagined, and it had become increasingly important to document as many moments as she could. With Deacon still in rehab working on himself, she sent him pictures and talked about how their daughter was doing during the occasional visitation days. As proud as she was of him for being gone and doing what he needed to do for their family she felt bad he had to miss anything, especially with her being so new.

Both of them had been grateful the board of directors at the facility had allowed him leniency in order to be present for the birth of their child. Each of them had their own concerns about him having to miss it, so it was a welcome surprise to learn he wouldn't have to. Tandy, as well as a few other family members and friends had been great, being there whenever she needed help adjusting to her new role as a parent, not even becoming the slightest bit agitated if she called one of them in the middle of the night. At almost three weeks in to what people often said was the craziest yet most rewarding journey of your life, she was slowly getting used to it. If Maddie slept, Rayna slept. If Maddie was awake, Rayna stayed awake, regretting if she shut her eyes for even a single second, wanting to drink in the total perfection that this tiny life personified.

The phone rang loudly and Rayna silently cursed herself for not turning the ringer off while the baby was sleeping, praying it wouldn't wake her. Friends often spoke of how their babies slept like rocks, unable to be disturbed for anything. Not by a long shot did this apply to Madison Miranda Claybourne. Lightest sleeper she'd ever witnessed, she'd wake at the drop of a fork and it was hell on earth to try to get her back to sleep. Putting down the scissors and piece of construction paper she'd been cutting, she hastily made her way to the phone and picked it up from its wall mounted cradle before the person on the other end had a chance to hang up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Ray. How you feelin'? Bucky Dawes' voice, thick with genuine love and concern traveled down the line, giving her a warm-fuzzy sort of feeling as it reached her ear.

"Tired as hell, but it's different than the kinda tired I usually feel on the job. I couldn't care less about how little sleep I've gotten this time," she laughed. "I'm doin' really good."

"I'm so happy to hear that," he said cheerfully. "You're really okay without Deacon bein' there?"

"Yeah, I mean, I miss 'em obviously, but he's doin' what he needs to do. I just try to keep pushin' through and remember that when the time is right he'll be back."

"Right. Well I'm proud of you, darlin'. I'm sure it's not easy. You let any of us at Edgehill know if you need anything and we're on it, ya hear?"

"You bet. Thanks, Buck. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Right back atcha. So listen, I called to see how you were doin', but I also have a business proposition for ya."

"Oh...?" She let heavy silence fill the air between them, waiting for him to speak.

"I know y'just had a baby and everything, so you shouldn't feel any pressure to say yes. But Shania's people wondered if you'd be an opener for some of her Nashville dates in September?"

"Are you shittin' me right now? As long as they're local venues, hell yeah I'll do it. I'm sure I can get Tandy or someone to watch Maddie. I just don't wanna travel too much with her til' she gets a little bigger."

"I get that, no problem. I'll get back to you with exact dates in a little while. You better believe I'll be haulin' my ass over to see that precious little pumpkin soon, too."

"Alright Buck," she laughed warmly, "you're welcome anytime. I'll talk to you soon."

"You bet love," he said, making a kissy noise down the line. "Buh-bye," he muttered before disconnecting their call.

Hanging up her own receiver, Rayna made her way into the nursery to check on the baby, who woke and started to fuss as soon as she felt another presence in the room.

"Oooh, munchkin. Tough life," she cooed as she gingerly picked her up and held her in her arms, gently rocking her while she paced the length of the floor. "Are you bein' cranky? I think so. Mama don't like it when you're cranky."

She continued the rhythm of cooing, pacing, and rocking until Maddie settled, but remained awake. Positioning herself in the rocking chair in the corner, she hummed a tune Deacon always sang to her when she was worried or upset about anything and allowed her mind to drift with thoughts of the day the precious bundle she was holding delegated to her the privilege of being a mother.

 **##**

 _"_ _She's beautiful, isn't she?" Rayna looked down at the pinkish red bundle of human life as she held her child in her arms for the first time. Before that moment, she'd believed it impossible to love anyone more than she loved Deacon. Holding something created out of the love they'd made, something that would forever be little pieces of the two of them, that added a whole different dimension to love neither one of them had known existed in the world._

 _"_ _Perfect. She's perfect, Ray," he choked out, tears welling up in his eyes as he kissed her lips. "I love you. I promise you, I'm gonna get better."_

 _With the hard work he'd been putting into this round in the program up until that day when they'd given him a one-off so as to be present for the birth of his child, she was beginning to believe his promise and conviction. "I know babe."_

 _"_ _I know I done you wrong more times than I can remember, and it ain't right. You're the mother of my child. I've made mistakes, and God can punish me for those however he wants, but I ain't gonna lose you. I can't. I'm gonna be the man you always wanted this time, I swear."_

 _She wiped a stray tear from the bridge of her nose, catching it just before it had a chance to fall over her lips. "You're rightin' your wrongs. God ain't gonna punish you."_

 _Looking into her newborn daughter's eyes Rayna came to the realization that rather than punish him, God was showing Deacon how one tiny little gift could change him._

 ** _##_**

"Jesus Christ, Scarlett, d'you have to play that so _loud_?" Maddie Claybourne stomped angrily out into her cousin's kitchen, head pounding, trying not to walk too quickly so as to prevent the room from spinning.

"Well if you hadn't broke the rules and begged me to come save your ass, you wouldn't be in this predicament now, would ya?" she stated a little too matter-of-factly for her younger cousin's tastes, eliciting a cold stare from the brunette. "For the record, I ain't playin' as loud as you thought," she grinned devilishly, brushing off Maddie's attempt at an evil stare which came across more like the look of a pissy, pouting feline, and setting her guitar down.

"Ugh, hangovers suck," she groaned, retrieving the bottle of Tylenol capsules from the cupboard above the stove.

"Uh, you are aware you're sixteen, correct? Don't be tellin' me that shit, my ears don't need to hear it."

"Oh, what? She challenged, you gonna rat on me to Mom and Dad?"

"The more stuff you keep your mouth shut about, the less I'll have to rat," her cousin said seriously. "You're lucky I didn't drive you straight home when you begged me to pick you up. Do you remember anything about last night?"

"Uh, _yeah._ I didn't _beg_ , I _asked_."

"You really wanna waste your time playin' semantics with me right now?"

"Yes, I remember stuff, okay? Why do you care?"

"I care because you seem to have an awful lot of an attitude lately and there's no reason for it. You're extremely gifted and a really sweet girl. Aunt Rayna and Uncle Deacon didn't raise you up to be how you're bein' lately and you know it. D'you remember why you went to that party?"

"I snuck out meet up with someone and have a good time?"

"Someone who?"

"A friend."

"Is this friend a boy?" she probed, gaze boring into her.

"Maybe," Maddie spat out, folding her arms and casting her gaze downward.

"Uh huh," the blonde across from her paused for added effect. "And did you have any type of... _relations_ with this boy?"

"Ew, what?! No! Why are you asking me that? Even if I did it's not like I would blab to you. We just met there and then some other people, friends of his, I guess, drove us around town in their car for a while before going back and drinking. I wouldn't let drunk people drive me home, so I called you because the 'rents didn't know I was gone."

"You shouldn't a' gotten into a car with people you didn't know, but I'm glad you didn't let drunkards drive you home." Scarlett had a strong sense that her cousin had purposely left holes in her story, but hoped her intuition was failing her and she was wrong. "I was sixteen once, and you'd better be careful, pretty girl. Trust and lust, that combination is lethal and it don't lead to nowhere."

"Whatever."

Watching the angsty teenager stalk off into the spare bedroom, no doubt to continue trying to will away the atrocities of her hangover, she wondered how much she should disclose to Deacon and Rayna, knowing from experience that riding in cars with boys led nowhere worth traveling.


End file.
